


Endless Possibilities

by emilyisnotmyname



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: F/M, Headcanon, Hurt/Comfort, Killing Game Was A Virtual Reality Simulation (Dangan Ronpa), New Dangan Ronpa V3 Spoilers, Pre-Game Personalities (New Dangan Ronpa V3)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:27:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27095038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilyisnotmyname/pseuds/emilyisnotmyname
Summary: Disorienting was the best word for it, Kaede thought. Dying in some horrible fashion or killed by a peer in a death game, praying to anything for forgiveness, for a second chance, wishing you had grabbed your friends in a hug before you die full of regrets. Only to jolt awake and pull at what felt like a million wires, ripping them from your skin in your haste to get even a single gasp of air in. Because you were somehow, undoubtedly,alive.In which Kaede learns the value of a lie (and a liar) far before the others do.
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Oma Kokichi
Comments: 14
Kudos: 93





	Endless Possibilities

Disorienting was the best word for it, Kaede thought. Dying in some horrible fashion or killed by a peer in a death game, praying to anything for forgiveness, for a second chance, wishing you had grabbed your friends in a hug before you die full of regrets. Only to jolt awake and pull at what felt like a million wires, ripping them from your skin in your haste to get even a single gasp of air in. Because you were somehow, undoubtedly, _alive_.

It was ridiculous, the sheer relief that spread through her, but some snide part of her whispered that she had cheated fate, or that the other shoe was going to drop any day now. Some part of her still mumbled that she deserved it to.

The killing game had all been a simulation, for all of their hysteria and despair and hope, it hadn’t even been really real. It hollowed the experience somehow, but knowing that it hadn’t really happened didn’t lessen the terror that followed all of them, the ghosts and tremors and fear that the killing game had left on them. It only made them feel worse.

In the game, she hadn’t understood why it had happened, why anyone would do something like that. But once she was out of it, and realized that she and all of them had volunteered for it in exchange for money and free housing, it had made sense. Especially once Danganronpa had given her her memories back.

They were out of the game, all they had to do to get the memories back was ask. For only an instant, she debated not getting those memories back, but her curiosity, the need to know who she was and who was waiting for her won out in the end.

Rantaro and her had gone together, he had been too afraid to face that person that he once was, and to some extent, so was she. There was no way of knowing what they’d be facing, what kind of reality they would come face to face with. He had it worse than her, the producers hadn’t confirmed if his survivor status was real, or if they had made it up for the game, and it was obvious he was concerned about what kind of person he was; that would willingly join a game twice in a row.

She didn’t know why he had sought her out as a comfort for this, considering that she had been the one to plot out his demise, but regardless, they found out together what they truly were.

Rantaro hadn’t seemed that much different than how he was ingame. He was totally gutted by the fact that the sisters he was so close to had been a figment of his ‘backstory’, but it only took a moment for it to shift into elation when he called his parents, and his friends again. With the memories returning, he realized that the producers had used his contract to get him into another game; allegedly, he was a massive hit with the fans. But all in all was just a normal kid, something of a delinquent that was always on the hunt for a thrill(probably where his initial Ultimate talent had stemmed from), but he still had that lazy smile, and that quiet, enigmatic aura about him. Thoughtful, dependable, slow to trust, and friendly, that was Rantaro.

It had filled Kaede with hope to see something so truly good for him. Her life as the Ultimate Pianist had been lonely and quiet, filled with pressure from her parents. It hadn’t been sad, she was lucky to love what she did, but it had been hollow. As the producers hooked her up to the machine, her heart was pounding, and she had been looking forward to seeing it. Maybe she had friends, a real loving family that she could call and cry over the phone to, and she could leave all of this behind.

But the truth was even crueler than fiction.

They had unhooked her from the memory restoring machine, and she briefly saw Rantaro’s expectant, hopeful look until it shriveled and died when he saw her expression. “Akamatsu-san?” His voice was tentative, and now he just looked concerned.

“This is a joke, right?” Kaede had turned to the operator, incredulous and absolutely furious. But that was a cheap facade for the despair that was slowly simmering in her breaking heart. “You’re fucking with me, right?”

“No ma’am. Whatever you’re seeing right is your true past, nothing was altered from it in the slightest. If you truly have doubts, it's a part of the contract.” She stood sharply, silently before attempting to run up to him and _beat the real truth out of him, this had to be a lie, she wouldn’t be tricked anymore, this couldn’t be the truth-_ but those few days in a coma had weakened her legs just enough so that she fell over before she got over to him. The pain in her knees at the fall was minimal, but it was like a slap in the face personally delivered from the universe.

The man read the room, and quickly exited the room before she could get back up. Rantaro moved to her side quickly, and vaguely she could hear him asking what was wrong, but she couldn’t answer around the lump in her throat and the desperate sob in her chest.

_“I’m perfect for a killing game. I don’t have any faith in humanity.” Delivered with a blank grin, the complete truth, it didn’t matter if she lived or died, if she survived or killed, because there wasn’t anyone who would care._

_Years of quiet, of a few weak friendships few and in between. Her parents were always fighting, until her dad left and her mom did too, saying she’d come back soon only to drop her with all the responsibility she had fled. She didn’t trust anyone, didn’t reach out and nobody reached out._

_The possibility of being in Danganronpa fell into her lap, and not expecting anything, she applied. Not out of love for the show or anything like that, but just so she could do something with her life, and not be totally alone._

_Kaede Akamatsu had absolutely nothing waiting back at home for her._

The worst part of it was, the Ultimate Pianist in her felt on the cusp of shattering, and the Nobody that was truly her was hardly phased. Grief, the sensation of that candle of hope she had held for a moment flickering out and burning her on the way, made her want to fall into the ground and disappear. For a horrifying instance, her true self wanted to ask to rejoin the game, it was so typical of her to end up dead in the first round. She hadn’t been important, she wouldn’t be remembered, she hadn’t even succeeded in her goal, and this killing game had been the _best she was ever going to get_.

That thought was what finally snapped her composure, letting loose something between a scream and a sob. She should’ve never looked. At least Rantaro was kind enough to give her a hug, but it all felt hollow and hopeless as she cried into his shirt, stuttering out an explanation and apologies through her gasps for breath.

That had been a few weeks ago, weeks that her and Amami had spent watching the game, from the apartments that Danganronpa had given to them. Kaede hated seeing it, seeing the horrors and despair being inflicted onto them, and feeling that horrifying deja-vu every time it was “punishment time”, but there was no way she could abandon those people now that she knew the truth. What else better did she have to do?

Well, Amami had offered to let her hang out with his friends, and they often would hang out when the sights of the game became too much for them, grabbing coffee or going to an arcade, to attempt to distract themselves. But it always hung over Kaede, no matter what else she occupied herself with. His friends were nice enough, but it was clear that she was an add-on to the group, she didn’t get nearly as much out of it as Amami seemed to.

They didn’t understand at all the extent of what had happened, it was painfully obvious with the jokes they’d make, even Amami found himself growing exhausted with them sometimes. The pianist didn’t particularly like them, it just liked being around people and feeling real for once; the nobody absolutely despised being around them, it had to be held back from crumbling to pieces and snapping constantly.

Regardless, the Ultimate Survivor and Pianist always found themselves back in front of the screen.

Though she loathed it, it was a welcome distraction from the conflict inside her. Everyday, all the time, the two sides of herself were at war. The truth that she didn’t completely believe that any of these people deserved her pity, and the lie that she wanted so desperately to be true that she loved and cared about them, that they were her friends. She wanted to have hope, but she also scoffed at the thought of it. It was infinitely frustrating.

As her classmates died in the game, her and Rantaro took the job of helping them to get assimilated back to reality. Kirumi and Ryoma were the next ones to die. The maid was all apologies and tears the moment her memories returned, and Ryoma sobbed impossibly loud when he realized how much he had to live for. They both had family, Kirumi her old grandmother and younger siblings, while Ryoma had a tearful reunion with his tennis club.

It was funny, Kirumi was still so motherly and polite, but she clearly had a mischievous streak as well that was completely absent from the game. A smirk suited her well, much better than how she’d obey any order she was given in that familiar way, and look so, so pained when she realized what she had been doing. Ryoma, on the other hand, did a complete 180, optimistic and friendly, full of hopeful energy. But he couldn’t hide those moments when that would shrivel up into a familiar hopelessness that had been etched into his skin.

Angie, Tenko, and Korekiyo died next. Angie was really the same as ever, at least as far as Kaede could tell, her personality was vibrant and interesting enough to not require any changes was what she assumed had happened. Tenko was much more calm though, less bubbly and supportive, and more focused on improving herself, though she always seemed concerned for Himiko whenever she did occasionally watch the game. It was clear she had a distaste for men, but it wasn’t nearly as extreme as it had been in game. Korekiyo left the apartment complex immediately after his memories had been restored, probably feeling guilty for his actions, which Kaede could understand. She had heard that Rantaro and Kirumi both kept tabs on him, so she wasn’t very concerned with him.

Then it was Miu and Gonta who died next. Miu looked terrified when she had left the game, and that fear had stuck with her for far, far longer than the rest of them. Getting her memories back hadn't helped, though she hung around Kirumi and Kaede sometimes, but she mostly stayed in her room, throwing herself into her inventing work and coping, a talent that hadn't been fabricated in the game. Gonta had been inconsolable since coming back to the real world, in disbelief that he could have the capacity to hurt people. Getting his memories only seemed to intensify that, and he wouldn't tell anyone why. He was still ever committed to becoming a proper gentleman, which everyone, especially Kirumi, helped him with.

Stubbornly, Kaede emulated how she was in the game to a T, and supported them all with motivational words and endless kindness, listening and providing advice, or just being a shoulder to cry on. But underneath it all, she didn’t think she had ever been more jealous in her entire life. How was it that she was the only one who didn’t seem to have anything? No family, no friends, no pets, no job, no future, no hope, nothing that wasn’t a blatant lie.

So maybe that was why when Kokichi ended up dying, she volunteered to be the one to help him recover. Ryoma had had a similar issue as well, where staying comatose in the simulation caused his muscles to deteriorate and weaken. For someone like Kokichi, who was already quite small and frail, it wasn’t any wonder that he was in quite the bad shape physically when he awoke. No one else wanted to do it, which wasn’t a big shocker considering his actions in the game, so she stepped up.

Now that she was standing outside of his door though, carrying a tray with breakfast and various medicines that Kirumi had kindly prepared for him, she debated with herself if this was such a good idea. But really, it was too late to possibly turn around now, so she gathered her patience (which she was sure would be crucial in talking to the Supreme Leader), and cleared her apprehensions before knocking on the door.

“Come iiin!” The voice that she couldn’t have mistaken anywhere sounded weaker and muffled from behind the door. She walked in without thinking, and heard him groan dramatically, and saw him fling himself back down into his bed as he groaned with contempt. “Uggh, of course it's _you_.”

“Excuse me?” Kaede said reflexively, already falling back into their routine. She’d spent quite a bit of time with him in the game, for whatever reason, and it had always been a familiar pattern: him saying something, her accepting it, only for him to dramatically reveal it was a lie. Becoming more skeptical only made it more confusing, and humoring him was exhausting. But he did have a certain charm about him, and his enigmatic nature only made him more interesting.

“I wanted Mom to come and serve me! That's her actual job, but nooo, I get the stuupid pianist.” But as if on cue, he smirked. “But that’s just a lie! Don’t look so down Kaede, I’ve been hoping you’d come and visit me.” For someone so childishly cheery, he didn’t seem sincere. Even considering that he must be lying, it wasn’t like him to lie so half-assedly. He must really be in bad shape..

Regardless of his condition, he was still annoying. She handed the tray to him and sighed, “Geez, could you cut that out already?”

“Huuh? What do you mean, Kaede?” Kokichi asked so innocently, it almost made her feel bad.

There was no point in telling _him_ to stop lying and be more direct, deceit was probably in his blood or something, so she grumbled, “Nevermind..”

“You were gonna ask me to stop lying, right? I was right, right? Right Kaede?” He took only a single bite before launching into an annoyingly persistent tirade of questions, complete with sparkling eyes and a mouthful of food.

“Don’t speak with your mouth open!” Intending to deflect from that line of questioning, she scolded him sharply. But also, that habit was something that her ‘true self’ absolutely couldn’t stand, and it lashed out before she could stop it.

“Wheww, Kaede’s so scary..”

“Ah, sorr-”

“Makes me remember that I’m dealing with a murderer here, I need to be more careful..” A dramatic shiver laced through his body, but that tiny smirk was apparent on his face.

A murderer. Right. That comment made her feel so many things, anger, disappointment, sadness, it was hard to pinpoint. And even more so with the war inside of her. For a moment she contemplated bringing up what he had done to Gonta, but that seemed too mean, even if it would be true. The one that won out in the end was _exhaustion_ , one so full-bodied that she had to sit down on the edge of his bed, silent.

“Whaaaat? That's your reaction? You can’t even deny it?” Before she could fall into some sort of spiral, his whining sounded so disappointed that she practically had to laugh, but it truly turned into a fit of giggles when he started hitting her with a pillow. “Don’t laugh like that! You killed my beloved, and you’re laughing? You’ve got no respect! You.. evil fiend!”

“Your beloved? You mean Amami?” Kaede was still laughing and half-heartedly defending herself with her arms raised, while Kokichi prepared a well of crocodile tears along with his assault.

A dramatic wail. “Don’t speak his name, you bastard!”

“He doesn’t care, we’re actually really good friends now.” It probably wasn’t true that he completely didn’t care, but it hadn’t hinder their friendship in any meaningful way, so it wasn’t worth caring about.

Kokichi looked horrified, his face was pale and his jaw was dropped, but she could tell that it was an exaggeration, if not an outright lie, and it only made her laugh more. “Please, say it’s not true!”

Confidently, and perhaps a bit cruelly, she said. “Oh, it suure is.”

“Well, whatever. I never liked that guy anyways.” He seemed to pout for a moment, and went back to his food, outright ignoring her chortles of laughter. “Would you stop laughing? It's so much less entertaining when you don’t take me seriously.”

“Pfft, right, of course.”

The two of them sat there for a while in a comfortable, amiable silence while Kokichi ate. Kaede was surprised with how well it had ended up going so far, he hadn’t even said anything too out of the ordinary. Aside from the murderer comment, but she had already spent days and nights thinking and debating and sobbing over that, before accepting it as reality. It still stung, of course it stung, but she could somehow accept it.

“Have you gotten your memories back?” The question slipped out without her even realizing, and she wanted to take it back when she saw the purple-haired boy freeze for a moment as she asked.

He seemed to take a while to answer. “I suuure did, why?”

“Just curious. What did you find?”

“What's got you so _curious_ all of a sudden?” He said it in a mocking sort of way, which made Kaede frown slightly. He didn’t want her asking about it, but that really wasn’t going to stop her.

“I just wanna make some conversation, y’know? You don’t have to answer, but I’ll tell if you do.” In the same breath she brushed him off, she challenged him in a sly way she was sure wouldn’t get turned down. Kaede wasn’t sure if she should be proud that she was getting so much better at lying.

Hands shaking from even the slight exertion, he placed the now empty tray on the bedside table. “Fiiine, if you really want to know so bad.. I’ve got DICE, all ten thousand loyal dogs to serve my every beck and call! What else could I possibly need?” He sighed contently, in a way that seemed too forced to her.

“So that's why you’ve got me here serving you instead?” Kaede took a page from his book and asked her question innocently, which only served to irritate him a bit.

Indeed, his face went perfectly neutral, before brightening up. “You’re just convenient, they’ll come and pick me up the moment I call for them. But anyways, it's your turn! Share it with the class.” Attentively, he was staring at her, he was the picture of a devoted listener.

“Riight.” For half a second, she debated telling the truth, but banished the thought of it. “Well, to be honest..” She didn’t miss the way his sparkling eyes narrowed. “It's not anything special, really, just my parents. I’m the piano club at school, but I don’t really have that much talent with it.”

Kokichi’s eyes widened, and his grin followed. He almost looked giddy, and it threw her off quite a lot. “Wow, I didn’t know that Kaede was a liar too! That’s double trouble, killing and lying, what's next, larceny?” The horror in his expression was still funny, but her blood had ran a bit cold. Even if she knew he would find out, it still made her face go pale when he understood. Putting aside his very ironic fear of thievery, he continued. “I mean, I did know, you lied in the game a lot too, and even now… After I was so kind as to tell you the truth too! I’m hurt.” And now he was pouting, not surprising.

“But that's a lie too, huh Kokichi?” She sat up slowly and stared right into his eyes, which seemed somewhat surprised. “Neither of us have anything to go back to, is that right?”

The tension in the room would’ve needed a saw to properly cut through.

The boy stayed quiet for too long, but she didn’t say anything else either. Kaede was certain that this was the truth, and she wanted him to say it.

Finally, he opened his mouth, and spoke neutrally with a frown. “You stole my catchphrase.”

“It's a good one.”

More quiet.

A sigh, and he leaned back down into the pillows, looking frail and pensive amongst the white sheets. Somehow, they only served to make his face look even paler, and highlighted the shadows under his eyes. “I’m _tired_.”

Kaede followed suit, moving to lay next to him on top of the blankets. The bed was big and Kokichi was small, there was plenty of room for them to lay side by side and not touch each other. “Me too.”

Staring at the ceiling, she heard a low whistle. “Soo, what's the ultimate pianist really like then?”

“I hate her. She completely gave up on everything, on people, on the world, on herself. She’s pessimistic and, well, she thinks all of this, talking with everyone and trying to make friends, is just a big waste of time.” It felt weird to be trusting this all with Kokichi of all people, but it also felt so perfectly right that it went right back around to being wrong. Another thing to be conflicted over. “I think she's mostly just angry, or hurt, but that doesn’t make me want to rip her out of my own skull any less.”

Kokichi’s brows went up and he closed his eyes, as if he didn’t like that reality anymore than she did. “Ouch, what a mean thing to say about your _true_ self.”

“I don’t think of her as that.”

“So you're just lying to yourself instead? That's pretty cowardly of you, to not face the truth.”

“Mhmm.” Kaede saw the hypocrisy, and chose not to comment on it. “You were the one that said it best: ‘There's only one option for the truth, but there's endless possibilities for lies.’ So, I’m going to lie, and find that other possibility that I like better.”

“Neheehee, I’m surprised that you of all people were actually listening to that.” If she wasn’t wrong, he almost looked embarrassed, or maybe just pleasantly surprised that she had been.

“You were one of the people that I liked watching the most, to be honest..” Now he was definitely amused, grinning like the cat that got the cream. “You were also the most obnoxious, so stop smiling! I shouldn’t have said anything, your ego is way too big already. A-anyways, it your turn, tell me about how you were.”

“Alright, Kaede. I was a total wimp, a massive pushover. Got picked on a lot, from what I remember, and I was always mad and starting fights I couldn’t win. Really, it's pretty boring stuff.” He rattled it off like a list, but she paid close attention. It wasn’t really anything special, like he said, though it was almost certain that he was omitting some details, but she didn’t really care about that. Especially not when his face fell, and he said in a broken sort of way, “I hate that. That we’re the only ones to not have _anything_.”

“I know.” Now that he had said something so honest, and vulnerable, it made her start tearing up. Which was ridiculous, she shouldn’t be crying over this anymore, but she was. “I know, I wanted it so bad, but-” She was about to let out a growl of anger, but instead she sighed, getting mad wouldn’t solve anything, because they weren’t really mad. “You wanna hear a dumb question?”

“That is a dumb question.”

She rolled her eyes and continued as if he had agreed, though not without apprehension. It really was a dumb question, “Do you… want a hug?”

His breath hitched for a moment, and he answered way too fast. “Yes.”

They weren’t mad, they were just alone. Alone, and lost in their own despair and lies and self-pity and hatred and whatever else their conflicted brains managed to scramble up and throw at them. But maybe they wouldn’t have to be alone with it anymore.

Kaede sat up without a second thought, brushing off the embarrassment from being vulnerable for that moment, and pulled Kokichi into her lap. He really was small, and far too skinny for Kaede’s liking, it only made her want to hold him tighter. As they laced their arms around each other, they allowed themselves to relax for the first time in far, far too long.

It was so endlessly nice to have someone who actually understood, even someone who had been so awful in the game. But really, who was she to judge, she was a murderer, afterall. Or maybe she just didn’t want to judge him, or question this, because then she’d have to turn those inward, and she didn’t know if she could handle much more of that.

They were both crying, Kaede was pretty sure. No earthshaking sobs, or broken cries, but just little shaking tears that slipped through. The shoulder of her shirt was becoming just slightly damp, and she could feel small drops falling onto her hand, which was carding gently through Kokichi’s hair.

“I’m sorry.” Kaede found herself whispering, though she didn’t know what in the world for.

His arms tightened around her waist, and he buried his face further into her shoulder. “I am too.”

Seeing Kokichi be vulnerable at all was incredibly surprising, she expected her request to be shot down in an instant, but instead… He must be more exhausted than she thought, to drop that paranoia he had guarded so well in the game. She was sure that he was scared, because her heart was pounding even when she was the one who offered. Kokichi was shaking a little bit, but he was fully leaning into her, which made something in her chest flip, and made her feel warm, even under the circumstances.

Who knows how long that they sat there, breathing in the comfort of each other. Kokichi had hardly moved, and Kaede sure as hell wasn’t going to be the one to deny them both this. Everything about it was soothing, she just wanted to hold him here forever.

And, shockingly, this was something that she agreed on. Both parts of her were in unison, in harmony for the first time in absolutely ages. The pianist was perhaps a bit hesitant, but she adored Kokichi in the same way that she tried to enjoy all of her friends, and she was completely satisfied with this warm hug. The nobody seemed amused at the very least, seeing it fitting that the two biggest fakes would end up together like this. And deep, deep down, she was quietly pleased to have someone else understand, and not shut her down.

Perhaps it was selfish, Kokichi probably just wanted a shoulder to cry on, to find some sort of relief from the molotov cocktail of emotions that were surely brewing inside of him, but Kaede didn’t want to let this go. She ran her hand back up his back in the rhythmic way that they had grown accustomed to, and asked a question. “Do you remember what you asked me? When we were still in the game.”

“Hmm?” His voice almost sounded sleepy, maybe a bit annoyed that she had interrupted with such a vague question.

“We had free time, and you asked me if I wanted to help you after we escaped? With DICE, y’know. Since my talent would let me go all over the world, and spy on people and the like.” Explaining it made it sound stupid, because it was stupid, but it was also important.

Kokichi smiled, she could feel it against her shoulder. He pulled away for a moment, and Kaede felt her face fall, but it was only so he could move and lean against her other shoulder, since the other one was now slightly damp from his tears. “Woww Kaede, you really are a loser for remembering something so insignificant!”

She lightly smacked the back of his head, which only made him cackle more. "Like I was saying, I-" Kaede had to take a moment, this was going to be the lamest thing she'd ever said, without a doubt. "I want to accept your offer. Let's do something, play stupid pranks or steal from the rich or whatever else we want to! We can light the world on fire for the hell of it if you want, but I want to be your partner." No matter how silly it was to say, she said it earnestly, she wanted to show how important it was. Maybe it wasn't exactly what she meant to say, what the truth behind her words were, but saying something like 'I don't want to be alone, please don't leave' was too much.

Kokichi’s expression was impossible to read as he fell silent, simply studying her face in lieu of answering, and she feared the worst. Preparing to backpedal, she opened her mouth, only for him to put a finger on his chin in thought. “That’s… quite presumptuous of you, Ka-yay-day.” He drew out the syllables of her name, but under his cold eyes he was wearing a thoughtful, slight smile, as if he couldn’t quite manage to keep it off his face. “You wanna be my partner right off of the bat? We’ve got procedures, you know, you’re meant to start off licking the dirt off of my subordinates boots! And plus, I’ve already got a partner, y’know?”

“I see. Apologies, then.” She frowned outwardly, but she was fighting off a blush of embarrassment, and a massive amount of dread. How could she say something so stupid? Now she’s probably ruined whatever the hell was happening here, or at the very least stunted it.

Kokichi seemed to notice instantly, and made another thoughtful sound. “But now that I think about it… I’m the leader! Neheehee, I can do whatever I want, and they can’t stop me. Annnd the guy I have right now is a real pain in the ass, so I’ll throw him out!” Looking straight at her with sparkling eyes, he said quite seriously, “Kaede Akamatsu, I’m hereby accepting you into DICE, as my official right hand! It’s an honor, I know.”

She wanted to start crying again, but instead she pulled him back into another hug. “Thank you, Kokichi.”

“Yeah yeah yeah, I know you're very, very grateful.” Despite his exasperated tone, he didn’t pull away from it.

Eventually, she did pull away. They had already spent enough time hugging each other. “I do have one question though.”

“Suuure.”

“Now that I’ve got such a high ranking position in the organization… Can I finally know how many members are a part of DICE?” It had been a question that had been on her mind for ages, she meant it more as a joke than anything else

His face fell. “Geeeez, you sure are dense, Kaede. I guess I’ll have to spell it out for you.” Kaede was really fearing the answer, there was no way it would be a good thing. “There were 10 members, in the game. They were more like family, really. But they were all a lie in the end! Pretty cruel, huh?” The enthusiastic words were clearly forced, and it left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Well then,” She stood up, and brushed off her clothes quickly, before reaching out her hand to the frail boy sitting in the bed. “I suppose we’ll have to go and get some more then!”

Kokichi gave her a look with something like reverence in it, at that sudden hope that had come out of absolutely nowhere, before grabbing her hand, and letting her pull him up. On shaky legs, and mostly still leaning into her, he grinned. “Of course, Kaede.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed that!! Honestly, writing dialogue to these two was so fun their dynamic,,,, I just think its neat :)
> 
> Also this was my very first time writing dr characters at all? I know this was very very headcanony but I did somewhat try to follow canon.
> 
> If you liked it,,, perhaps leave me a comment? it'll make my day and I always try to respond to them!
> 
> But regardless I am definitely not out of oumaede hell yet so you're sure to see at least a little bit more of them at some point,, maybe in this same au idk.


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